Thirty things you can do to avoid modern disease

1. Make sure you have a pure source of foodstuffs. Obtain fresh, organic produce regularly by joining a vegetable box scheme

2. Eliminate plastic storage containers from your kitchen and do not buy or store food in plastic or clingfilm

3. Try not to cook life out of food. Steam vegetables such as brocolli or cauliflower to maintain their integrity and nutritional value

4. Eat wide from many sources for a balanced diet. Include nuts, herbs, lentils and fresh, organic, locally grown produce

5. Find different ways to give yourself a regular, yearly detox

6. Think about and act on your health in a preventative way. Try out some alternative therapies to help you switch on a health sense

7. Test your bodies PH rating. Cancer loves sugar and readily available proteins in an acid environment. Quit taking sugar as much as you can and eat foods that balance your PH

8. Throw your microwave away. Recent tests show 97% of flavonoids lost in brocolli by microwaving

9. Do a toxin stocktake on your household products and food sources. Throw away any harmful chemicals you are persuaded to put into your environment or yourself by advertisers

10. Make sure that your air and water supplies are as pure as possible. Exercise in a healthy, non-toxic environment

11. Find out more about your immune system and how to support it in thought, word and deed

12. Avoid known stressors such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, extreme conditions and so on, as much as possible

13. Check your home and work for sources of harmful radiation

14. Avoid using deodorants and sun screens containing parabens

15. Avoid factory farmed products such as milk, eggs, fish or cheese. Animals are often fed large amounts of antibiotics as a precaution and live in very stressful conditions

YARROW TEA (Achillea Millefolium)

Written by Simon Mitchell

Yarrow has an ancient history. The generic name comes from Achilles who saved lives of his warriors by healing their wounds with yarrow leaves. Crushed and rolled in hands plant provides a temporary styptic to check blood flow. Millefolium means 'thousand leaves' which were reputed to help with binding a wound and helping a scab to form. One of this astringent herb's ancient names is 'Soldier's Woundwort', along with 'Carpenter's Weed', 'Staunchweed' and others that show its popularity and prolonged use over many centuries.

The herb tea has also been used in past for stimulating appetite, helping stomach cramps, flatulence, gastritis, enteritis, gallbladder and liver problems and internal hemorrhage - particularly of lungs. It's effect is described as 'diaphoretic', causing dilation of surface capillaries and helping poor circulation. The promotion of sweating can be useful for fevers and colds. Yarrow mixed with Elderflower and Peppermint (sometimes Boneset) is an old remedy for colds.

The decoction has been used for all sort of external wounds and sores such as chapped skin or sore nipples. In China Yarrow is still considered to have sacred properties, readers of I Ching will often use Yarrow stalks in their studies.